Are business and management students getting value for money?
Updated Mar 28, 2026
costs and value for moneybusiness and managementBusiness and management students are asking a blunt question: does the experience justify the price? In the National Student Survey (NSS), comments on costs and value for money are 88.3% negative with a sentiment index of -46.7, and business and management students mirror that pattern at -49.0 across 458 comments. Within the business and management (non-specific) subject classification used across the sector, Feedback accounts for 10.6% of comments and Marking criteria trends strongly negative at -46.5, both part of the undergraduate student comment themes and categories, shaping how students judge price, quality, and outcomes.
Do high tuition fees align with what students receive?
High fees matter because students compare the bill with what they can actually see, use, and benefit from. Tuition now ranges from £9,250 to an eye-watering £19,000 per year, so students naturally test whether teaching, feedback, facilities, and support feel proportionate to the cost, especially as more content moves online. Institutions need student evidence to explain where fees go and how that spend improves modules, assessment, learning resources, and career outcomes. Clear communication about what is included, what is optional, and when costs arise reduces friction and makes value easier to defend.
Why do students criticise course content and delivery?
Students criticise course content and delivery when promised standards do not show up in day-to-day teaching, or when modules feel disconnected from industry practice. In this discipline, the clearest flashpoint is assessment clarity: Feedback draws sustained attention and sentiment around marking criteria is strongly negative. Programmes rebuild confidence when they publish exemplars, tighten assessment briefs, calibrate markers against the rubric, and apply practical ways to improve feedback in business and management studies. The payoff is clear: students can see what good work looks like and how to improve.
What shapes value-for-money perceptions?
Value judgements usually combine price, teaching quality, assessment clarity, and the predictability of additional costs. Students want a simple "total cost of study" view per programme, a "no surprises" policy on extras, and faster, standardised reimbursement processes. Open communication about how budget decisions protect contact time, the learning resources business management students say they need most, and employability support helps align expectations. When institutions remove hidden costs and explain trade-offs clearly, they make value visible instead of asking students to assume it.
How did COVID-19 alter the university experience?
COVID-19 changed the benchmark students use when they judge value. The rapid move to online teaching exposed uneven practice, echoing what business and management students said about COVID-19 disruption. Business education relies on peer interaction, applied tasks, and live discussion; when those are reduced, students report lower perceived value. Providers that redesigned sessions for interaction, kept assessment criteria stable, and explained changes clearly saw fewer concerns. The lesson endures: prioritise design for engagement, not just modality, and show how redesigned delivery still sustains learning outcomes.
What specific issues affect international students?
International students face higher fees and strict payment timetables alongside substantial living costs, which intensifies value-for-money scrutiny. Institutions strengthen trust when they provide early, detailed cost guidance, flexible payment options where feasible, and tailored academic, careers, and visa support that students can access quickly and reliably. That combination reduces uncertainty and shows that premium fees come with reliable, relevant support.
Do parking and other charges undermine perceived value?
Additional charges such as parking and specialist materials can accumulate and erode confidence. Concerns rise when services feel unreliable or only loosely connected to learning needs. Programmes should review these costs, align charges with clear benefits, and extend equipment loans, print or material allowances, and software access to reduce out-of-pocket spending for commuting and commuter-belt cohorts. Removing avoidable extras helps institutions protect perceptions of fairness as well as affordability.
What changes would address these concerns?
- Make all costs visible and predictable at programme and module level; keep one source of truth in the VLE and module handbooks.
- Prioritise assessment clarity: publish annotated exemplars, checklists and brief “how to improve” notes aligned to criteria; monitor turnaround and close the loop.
- Protect operational strengths: stable timetabling, consistent communications, and clearly signposted student support underpin perceived value.
- Use short pulse checks after high‑cost activities and act quickly on what students report; feed back on changes made.
Taken together, these actions make value easier to see, not just easier to promise.
How Student Voice Analytics helps you
Student Voice Analytics shows exactly where value-for-money concerns are concentrated by subject, mode, and cohort, and how they move over time. It surfaces the themes driving poor perceptions in business and management, including assessment clarity, delivery, resources, and collaboration, and provides anonymised, export-ready summaries for programme teams and finance or operations leaders. You get like-for-like sector comparisons, clearer priorities for action, and a shared evidence base for tracking improvements in value, experience, and outcomes.
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- How can feedback be improved in business and management studies?
- Do UK business and management courses communicate teaching effectively?